With the upcoming release of Fallout 76 slowly creeping towards us, anticipation runs high for the franchise’s first multiplayer game. There is much skepticism towards the next installment of the game being online, but Bethesda has made it clear that bringing Fallout into the multiplayer mainstream will not spell disaster that we all fear. So here is your rundown on what to expect from Fallout 76, comparisons to the previous games, and what Bethesda has released about the next chapter of the Fallout universe.
One of the things that makes 76 a distinguished game of the franchise is called C.A.M.P. (or the Construction and Assembly Mobile Platform). From what we know so far, CAMP seems to be the games version of a mobile tiny home. It seems to have all the necessities your character will need to care for themselves like a water pump, mattress, all inclusive workbench, and a fire for cooking. C.A.M.P. also appears to be your universal backpack where you can store your junk and supplies. With that being said, the search for materials will be much different than that of the other games. In previous games, players have always had the ability to stumble on trader NPCs like caravans, markets, random wasteland survivors, etc. With this game being set so early in Fallout’s history, resources are not as accessible at the time. By making resources more scare, this opens the door for multiplayer.
When it was first announced that Fallout 76 would be multiplayer, a lot of people worried about how it would affect the storyline of the franchise, being a single player based story. Between PUBG and Fortnite, the Battle Royale scene has blown up in recent times; after first hearing this news, it first seemed like Bethesda would be taking Fallout down that path and many grew worried. Between then and now, Bethesda has released a series of Vault-Tec videos and statements to not only hype people for the release, but pointers for how to play and what to expect from the game. There has been a big underlying theme in all these videos and that has been cooperation with other players. Being that Fallout has (up until now) been a solo player game, naturally people worried about how the plot would change. Not only is cooperation being heavily pushed in the videos, but there has even been talk of how Bethesda will punish “asshole” players. Combat must be initiated by both players in order for either to do significant damage to the other one. However, if you do end up bringing an enemy close to death this way, be sure that the punishment is severe. You become a wanted killer and a bounty is put on your head. Not only is this bounty taken from your own cap stash, but you will stop earning XP and trophies in the game. This has brought a lot of players minds at ease knowing that Bethesda is keeping their dignity and not turning Fallout into a Battle Royale disaster.
Needless to say, this Fallout game has definitely taken some by surprise. Although there was initial worry and fear for the franchise’s future, Bethesda has once again proven to care for gamers by using multiplayer to advance a story as opposed to pitting players against each other. This Fallout game has the potential to build a new community of multiplayer gaming. Vault-Tec: A better future underground!
